The New Family in Town
by Ryan T. Morris
Summary: Mrs. Garrett's nephew Ryan and his daughter Annabelle move in with her and the girls.


The New Family in Town

By Ryan T. Morris

The following story is based on the TV program "The Facts of Life". 

No challenge to ownership is intend.

This story takes place one week after the episode "Gamma Gamma or Bust".

It was a just a normal Saturday morning at Edna's Edibles. Mrs. Garrett was in the kitchen, Blair was behind the counter helping a customer, Tootie was sweeping the floor, Natalie was put cans on the shelf, and Jo was working on the books. As the girls worked, a man walked into the shop. He had black hair and a mustache, and he was wearing a gray business suit and a blue tie.

"Thank you, and come again," said Blair, "Can I help, you sir?"

"Yes," the man said, "I would like a peanut butter croissant and a cup of coffee."

"All right, " she said. She opened the case, and using a pair of tongs, placed the croissant in a bag, closed the case and the bag, poured a cup of coffee and said, "That will be a $1.25"

"There you go," the man said as he gave Blair the money. Then, he went over to a table, sat down and began to eat.

As the man sat down, Blair got to thinking.

"Where have I seen that face before?" She thought to herself as she went on with her work.

When he finished, the man got up from the table, when over to Blair and said, "That croissant was fantastic. I would love to meet the person who made them."

"Sure, I'll get Mrs. Garrett," said Blair, as she walked in the kitchen.

The man when back to the table and sat down, while Blair was in the kitchen. 

Jo asked the man, "So, you really like Mrs. G's croissants?"

"Oh, yes," the man said, "they are almost as good as my aunt's."

As Blair was bringing Mrs. Garrett out she said, "Here she is. Edna Garrett, croissant maker extraordinaire." 

"Oh, Blair, " said Mrs. Garrett, with a smile, "Sir, I am so glad you like my croissants so much that you wanted to meet me."

The man, who had his back to Mrs. Garrett, turned around, stood up and said, with a smile, "Now, Why wouldn't I want to meet you?"

When Mrs. Garrett saw the man's face, her smile got even bigger, she reached out to give him a big hug, and she said, "RYAN! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was in town, and I decided to come here and see if you still made the best croissants in the world."

"Wait a second," said Jo, "You just told me that Mrs. G's croissants were almost as good as your aunt's."

Mrs. Garrett gave Ryan a dirty look. Ryan said, "I did say that. Well, the only thing I can say is 'Meet my aunt, Edna Garrett.'"

Mrs. Garrett said, "Ryan, meet my girls, Jo Polniaczek, Tootie Ramsey, Natalie Green, and Blair Warner. Girls, this is my nephew, Ryan Morris."

All of the girls shook hands with Ryan, then Blair said, "Ryan Morris? Now I know where I have seen your face before. Girls, do you know who this is?"

All of the girls said no and shook their heads.

"This is Ryan T. Morris, Owner of Morris Restaurants Inc. He is the owner of the one of the biggest restaurant chains in the United States, Ryan's Old-Fashion Family Restaurants. He is worth over $25 million."

"You seem to know quite a bit about me, Blair."

"I have a subscription to Fortune Magazine."

"Mrs. Garrett, how come you didn't tell us you were related to a multi-millionaire?" asked Tootie.

"I've told you about Ryan."

"You told us, he was in the restaurant business, not that he owned a restaurant empire," said Natalie.

"Well, I didn't think it was important to bring it up. Anyway, what brings you to Peekskill, besides my croissants?"

"I have something to take care of at Eastland."

Mrs. Garrett's ears perked up, "Oh?"

"I plan on enrolling Annabelle in Eastland."

"Who's Annabelle?" asked Tootie.

"My daughter, she is about your age, Tootie. Anyway, we have a meeting with the headmaster at Noon." Ryan looked at his watch. "I have got to get back to the hotel and get Annabelle ready. I will take a half dozen more croissants for the road." 

"I'll get them for you," said Natalie.

"Thank you, Natalie. Oh, Aunt Edna, after the meeting, I have to go to New York for some business meetings and I really don't want to leave Annabelle in an empty hotel room. So, can I leave Annabelle here with you for awhile, and I'll pick her up when I am done? She could give you a hand in the shop."

"I would love to. I haven't seen Annabelle since she was a baby. I have a big catering job this afternoon, and I can use all the help I can get."

"Great, I will drop her off at about 2:00pm and be back at about 7:00pm."

"Oh, I don't know if we will be back by then."

"That's all right, you just give me a set of keys and I will just wait for you."

"O.K. Jo, give Ryan your keys."

"Sure. Here you go," said Jo.

"Thanks, I will be back at about 2:00pm" 

"Here you go, a half dozen peanut butter croissants," said Natalie

"Thanks, how much do I owe?"

"They are on the house," said Mrs. G.

"O.K. Thanks, see you at one."

At two o'clock, Ryan returned with Annabelle. Annabelle had long red hair, pulled up in a ponytail and was wearing a blue dress. When they walked in the girls and Mrs. G, were putting the final touches on the food for their catering job. Mrs. Garrett said, "Hi, Ryan! How did the meeting go?"

"Just great. Mr. Parker is excited about have Annabelle as a student."

"When does she start?" asked Tootie.

"Next week. Aunt Edna, this is Annabelle."

Mrs. Garrett walked over to them, gave Annabelle a hug, and said, "It is very nice to meet you Annabelle."

"It's nice to meet you Aunt Edna, but please call me Anna, everyone except Daddy calls me Anna."

Jo walked over and said, "Hi, I'm Joann, but everyone calls me Jo."

"Nice to meet you too, Jo."

Tootie walked over and said, "Hi, I'm Dorothy, but everyone calls me Tootie."

"Nice to meet you, Tootie."

Natalie walked over and said, "I'm Natalie, you can call me Natalie or Nat."

"Nice to meet you, Natalie."

Blair walked over and said, "And I'm Blair"

"Nice to meet you, Blair."

"Well, I'm off, " Ryan said, "Now, Annabelle, you listen to your Aunt Edna, and do everything she tells you."

"O.K. Daddy."

"I will see you all later"

"Bye, Ryan," said Mrs. Garrett, "All right girls, back to work."

"What can I do, Aunt Edna?" asked Annabelle.

"Well," said Mrs. Garrett, while tossing a apron to Annabelle," you can help Tootie with the canapé."

"So, Anna, what school did you use to go to?" asked Tootie.

"Foxcroft."

"Foxcroft. I heard that it is a excellent school," said Natalie

"Yes, it is, but Daddy heard that Eastland's academic standards are higher." 

"Eastland's academic standards are among the highest in the country," said Mrs. Garrett.

"Plus, Daddy wants me at Eastland so I can be closer to you, Aunt Edna."

"Oh, why is that?"

"Because, he is always says that you were such a good influence on him when he was a boy. He always says that some of his best memories as a boy were spent in your kitchen. You're the one who inspired him to go into the restaurant business."

"I am?"

"Sure, he never told you?"

"No."

"Well, ever since I was a little girl, Daddy has been teaching me to cook, and I love to. In fact, after I graduate from college, I plan to open to my own catering business."

"Well, Anna, I'm sure you're going to make a great caterer. I mean if your father taught you to cook as well as I taught him, your going to be great," said Mrs. Garrett, as she looked at her watch, "Oh, my goodness look at the time we have got to get going."

"What is all this food for, Aunt Edna?"

"It's for a big birthday party. Come on girls, let's get this stuff loaded in the van."

It was about 8:30pm when Mrs. G and the girls got back to the house and as they unloaded the van, Natalie and Tootie told Annabelle about the catering job they did last week for Gamma Gamma. When Mrs. Garrett and the girls get in to the house they are treated to the most wonderful smell. 

"I know that smell," said Annabelle, "That is my Dad's fried chicken and biscuits." 

At that moment, Ryan came out of the kitchen with some plates and silverware and said, "Oh, good I thought I heard you pull up. I hope you don't mind, Aunt Edna. I thought you might be tired, so I whipped together some dinner. The food is almost ready, Annabelle, why don't you start setting the table and I will be right back with the glasses."

"O.K., Daddy." 

"I'll give you a hand," said Natalie.

"Thanks, Nat."

Ryan, Mrs. Garrett, Blair, Jo and Tootie head in the kitchen as Natalie and Annabelle start to set the table. Ryan brings out the glasses and the water pitcher, Mrs. Garrett brings out the chicken, Blair brings out the biscuits, Jo brings out the salad, and Tootie brings out the mashed potatoes and gravy. As they ate, they talked about the party Mrs. G and the girls catered. When they were all done, Ryan looked at his watch and said, "Wow, look at the time we have got to get going. We have got a long trip back to San Francisco."

"Ryan," said Mrs. Garrett," why don't you and Anna stay here for the night."

"No," said Ryan," we couldn't Aunt Edna, but thanks anyway."

"I insist. Anna can sleep in the girls room and Ryan you can stay in the extra bedroom."

"Well, OK, but I will make breakfast in the morning."

"It's a deal. Jo get the rollaway bed out of the attic and put it in the bedroom. Natalie go get some blankets, sheets, and pillows out of the linen closet."

"Sure, Mrs. G.," Jo said as she was heading up the stairs.

"Anna, I will show you to the bedroom," said Natalie.

"All right," said Anna.

"I will bring up your suitcase in a bit," said Ryan.

"O.K. Daddy."

As, Anna and Natalie head upstairs, Ryan says, "Aunt Edna, I need to call my pilot and tell him that me and Annabelle are leaving tomorrow afternoon, instead of tonight, can I use your phone?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Thanks."

Ryan picked up the phone, dialed the number, and said, "Bob, this is Ryan. I have decided to spend another day here. I will call you tomorrow morning. All right, get a good night's sleep. See you tomorrow. Good Bye."

Mrs. Garrett said, "Well, I am worn out. I am going up bed."

"Me too. Are you coming, Blair?" asked Tootie.

"You bet. I am exhausted. See you in the morning, Ryan," said Blair.

"See you all in the morning," said Ryan.

It was about 3:00 am when Mrs. Garrett came downstairs for a little midnight snack. When she was almost to the kitchen, she saw the lights on in the kitchen and wondered who it was. When she came got to the kitchen, she saw Ryan sitting at the table, eating biscuits and drinking cocoa. 

"Aunt Edna, what are you doing up?" asked Ryan

"Well, I was a little hungry and I though I would have a little snack. What were you doing?"

"Oh, just sitting here, thinking about Sarah."

"You miss her. Don't you?"

"Yes. I can't believe it has been four months since she passed away."

"Anna seems to be doing well."

"She is, now. For the first couple of weeks, she would cry every night, and I would go in and tell her that everything was all right and that I would always be there for her. That would make her feel better, then she would give me a kiss goodnight and she would go to sleep."

"It's hard for a child to lose a mother, especially one as wonderful as Sarah."

"It's hard for a husband to lose a wife, especially one as wonderful as Sarah. After Annabelle would go to sleep. I would go back to my room, lay in bed and cry for an hour and then go to sleep."

"Sarah was a great person."

"She was a wonderful mother, wife, and business woman. Aunt Edna, I have to tell you some thing."

"What is it?"

"There is another reason why I came out here besides enrolling Annabelle in Eastland."

"You told me you had some business meetings."

"That is what I wanted the girls to hear. The real reason was I had to have a meeting with Sarah's parents lawyers."

"Sarah's parents lawyers? How come?"

"Well, you know how Sarah loved to play practical jokes?"

"Oh yes. I remember at your wedding. She sent her brother down the aisle in a wedding dress and I will never forget the look on your face when you lifted up the veil."

"Yeah. Anyway, in April, she decided to have a phony will drawn up as April Fool's joke. In it she left everything we owned, total control of Morris Restaurants Inc. and all of our assets to her parents, except for $1,000,000 she put in a trust fund for Annabelle. And she gave me $1,000 and custody of Annabelle. I thought I was funny, until the day of Sarah's will reading, when it turned out that Sarah never changed the will back."

"Well, that shouldn't have been too hard to work out."

"That's what I thought, until I found out something about Sarah's parents I never knew before."

"What is that?"

"They hate me."

"What do mean they hate you?"

"Apparently, they never liked me, because I wasn't rich like they are. You see, when I met Sarah I was working at a small French restaurant in San Francisco, and when she took me to meet her parents, they seem very nice. But, when they found out that Sarah was going to invest the inheritance she got from her grandfather's will into my restaurant idea, that became Ryan's Old-Fashion Family Restaurants, they were not happy. And, when they found out we were get married, they were furious."

"Didn't she ever tell you?"

"No. In fact, when she told me what they said she said that they were happy about it. And, every time I saw them, they were so nice to me. I never knew their true feelings toward me until the will reading. When the will reading was done, they came up to me and said that I only deserved the $1,000 and that they would sue for custody of Annabelle, so she could grow up in the environment a girl, like Annabelle deserved. Well, I have been fighting this thing for four months and today we finalized the agreement."

"And, what is it?"

"I got $1,000 and custody of Annabelle."

"That's it! How come?"

"Well, a few days ago I was doing some cleaning in Sarah's office at home. I was going through her desk, deciding what things I should keep. When, I found a videotape. I put it in the machine and pushed Play. It was Sarah. She made a tape explaining to me why she never change the will back."

"What did she say?"

"She knew, I wasn't happy. She knew I hated going to work everyday and sitting in an office for eight hours. She knew the only time I was happy at work was when we first opened our first restaurant. I did all the cooking and she handed the business end. And, when we deiced to expand and open more restaurants throughout California, she continued to run the business and I still cooked at the first restaurant. When Sarah became pregnant with Annabelle, she worked as long as the doctor allowed her to. After, she had Annabelle, we deiced that she should stay home and raise Annabelle until she was old enough to go private school and I would take over Sarah's job as CEO. Then, Sarah would come back to work and I would go back to cooking at the first restaurant. So, when Annabelle started at Foxcroft a couple of years ago, Sarah did come back to take over her job as CEO, but I couldn't go back to cooking at the first restaurant."

"Why?"

"Well, by then we gave Sarah's parents and her sister a small amount of control of the company, and they thought it was inappropriate for the CEO of a major company to be working in a restaurant."

"So you and Sarah were out voted."

"Yes, and I have been stuck in that office, ever since. Oh sure, I got out on business trips around the country. But, all I every wanted was to go back to that kitchen in that first restaurant."

"But, how could Sarah give everything you two owned, total control of your business, and all of your assets to her parents?"

"Everything was in her name. The only reason I had a vote in what happened in the business was because I was the CEO."

"But, how could she do that?"

"She knew I wouldn't be happy going to that office every day without her. So, she figured I would sell to them eventually"

"Well, that explains giving the business to her parents. But, what about giving everything you two owned and all of your assets to them?"

"She knew that I would sell it all and give most of the money away, because she knew I couldn't be happy without her."

"If she did leave everything to you, would you have done everything she said you would do?"

"Maybe, but you never know she might have been right." 

"So, what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. I set up the meeting for today, because I knew that today was Annabelle's meeting at Eastland. And the meeting didn't take that long, so I went to some restaurants in New York City that were looking for cooks."

"And?"

"They all laughed at me."

"Why?"

"Because, they knew I was Ryan T. Morris, the restaurant king. And, they didn't believe it when I told them that I lost my empire."

"Where are you going to live?"

"I don't know, I did some looking in San Francisco, most of the real nice apartments cost $500 a month and up and they all want first and last months rent, and if I did that, I would be broke."

"What about Annabelle's trust fund?"

"I can't touch it and neither can Annabelle. Not until she turns 25. The only way we can get some of it is unless Annabelle really needs the money and I can't use any of it. And Sarah's parents are the ones who decide if Annabelle needs the money. Besides, the trust fund is for Annabelle's education. It's the only way I can afford to send her to Eastland."

"Ryan, I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"When, Annabelle starts at Eastland next week, you and her can move in here."

"Aunt Edna, I can't do that. You're crowed enough as it is with the 4 girls living here."

"I have plenty of room. Annabelle can stay in the girls' room and you can stay in the extra room. And the two of you can help me and the girls out in the shop."

"I don't know."

"I insist."

"Well, I will have to talk to Annabelle about it."

"And, I will have to talk to the girls about it."

"Tell you what, after breakfast, you take the girls in the shop and talk about it and I will talk to Annabelle about it in the living room. Deal."

"Deal. Now, let's get to bed. We have a big day tomorrow."

"We certainly do."

As Mrs. Garrett, Ryan and the girls were finishing up the breakfast that Ryan had made, Mrs. Garrett said, "Girls, we need to have a little meeting in the shop."

"All right," said Blair.

"O.K.," said Tootie.

"If you say so," said Natalie.

"Right behind you, Mrs. G," said Jo.

As Mrs. Garrett closed the door between the shop and the living room she mouthed to Ryan, "Good luck."

"Annabelle, we need to have a talk," Ryan said as he walked over to the couch.

"Sure, Daddy."

"Come over her and sit down."

"O.K.," Annabelle said as she walked over to the couch and sat down.

"Annabelle, there is no easy way to tell you this, so I will just come out and say it. We are broke."

"What do mean?"

"Well, you see your mom, when see died, in her will she left everything we own, total control of the business and all of our assets to Grandma and Grandpa, except for $1,000,000 she put in a trust fund for you for your education. And she gave me $1,000 and custody of you."

"Why?"

"Well, she gave them the business, because she knew I wouldn't be happy going to that office every day without her. So, she figured I would sell to them eventually. And she gave them everything we own and all of our assets to them, because she knew that I would sell it all and give most of the money away, because she knew I couldn't be happy without her."

"But, why did she only give you $1,000 instead of $1,000,000?"

"I don't know, Anna."

A shocked look comes over Annabelle's face.

"What is the matter?" asked Ryan.

"You never called me Anna before."

"Well, I've be thinking, since you're getting older maybe we should drop the 'belle' from your name."

"Absolutely not!"

"Why? You insist that everyone call you Anna."

"But, your not everyone, you're my daddy and I will always be your Annabelle."

"Oh, Annabelle!" Ryan says as he starts to cry. Then Annabelle reaches over and gives her daddy a hug and says, "I love you, Daddy."

"And, I love you Annabelle."

"Well, if were broke were are we going to live?"

"What?!"

"I said, if were…"

"I heard what you said. I am very surprised that you didn't ask 'What about all of my clothes?' or 'What about my bed?' or 'What about my this?' or 'What about my that?' "

"Daddy, I am not like Blair. Besides I don't care about how much money you have, as long as I have you that is all I need."

Ryan reached over and gave her a hug. As he was hugging her, she said, "By the way, What about my clothes, my bed, my this and my that?"

Ryan laughs and says, "Well, we do have a week to pack. And, your grandma and grandpa are letting us have some storage space for some of our things."

"Well, were are we going to live?"

"Aunt Edna has offered to let us live here. You would stay in the girls' room and I would stay in the extra room."

"Really! That's great!"

"You would mind sharing a room with four other girls?"

"Absolutely not! All four of them are great."

"There is one thing though."

"What?"

"We would have to help out Aunt Edna and the girls in the shop."

"I don't mind, besides if I am going to be a cater I need to get some experience in dealing with people."

"Your right."

As Ryan and Annabelle finish talking, Mrs. Garrett and the girls come back into the living room.

"Well, we have talked it over and we have deiced to let you and Anna stay here," said Mrs. Garrett.

Ryan said, "Thank you Aunt Edna, Blair, Tootie, Natalie, and Jo. Annabelle and I have been talking it over and we except your offer, Aunt Edna."

"That is great! Your going to love it here," said Mrs. Garrett.

Then, everyone join in one big group hug.


End file.
